Plotwright
Home
Soapweed yucca
Habit (mature) · Matt Lavin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Limited coverage
Soapweed yucca
Yucca glauca
A hardy, evergreen Great Plains yucca that holds a low rosette of narrow, pale blue-green dagger-like leaves and sends up a 4 1/2-foot stalk of pendulous, greenish-white bell flowers in early summer. Extremely drought- and poor-soil tolerant, it depends on an obligate mutualism with the yucca (Pronuba) moth — the only insect that pollinates it — so seed is not produced every year. The root has long been used to make soap, giving the plant its common name.
Native: 13 US states + 2 CA provinces
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (66/100)
Focal point
Structure
Pollinator
Light
Full sun
Water
Low water
Mature size
24-54" tall · 36" apart
Hardy in zones
4a-8b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Hot
cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
Related products
Sponsored
Heat and sun protection
Shade cloth, shade hoops, cooling mulch, and heat-stress monitoring tools.
Search heat and sun protection on Amazon
Drainage and aeration
Perlite, pumice, raised-bed mix, aerators, and drainage-focused containers.
Search drainage and aeration on Amazon
Transplanting and establishment
Trowels, transplant spades, starter fertilizer, root stimulators, and watering bags.
Search transplanting and establishment on Amazon
Soil testing and pH
pH meters, soil test kits, lab mailers, and amendment calculators.
Search soil testing and ph on Amazon
Plant support
Stakes, cages, trellises, ties, clips, arbors, and heavy-duty supports.
Search plant support on Amazon
Propagation
Rooting hormone, propagation trays, cutting tools, division knives, and labels.
Search propagation on Amazon
Plotwright may earn a commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Native across 15 US states and Canadian provinces — a wide-ranging part of North America's plant communities.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/soapweed-yucca
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 2.0
Backs 1 field
Image
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
Plotwright
Climate-aware plant planning — every plant checked against your zone now and in 2050.
support@arteractive.co
© 2026 Plotwright